East End Area Plan
What is happening with the County Prison Site (625 E. King Street)?
In 2020, the County of Lancaster began searching for a location to construct a new county prison facility, which would also result in the closure of the historic prison located in the East End Neighborhood at 625 E. King St. — parts of which have been operable since 1851. The County has selected the new prison site, which resides right outside the city limits, and facility designs are underway.
The future of the historic prison building and its 4.73-acre site raises significant community planning questions, primarily due to the historic building and its surrounding context. While contemporary prisons are well-buffered from residential neighborhoods, this prison property occupies an entire city block, and the structures feature prominently from all four adjacent city streets (E. Orange St., N. Franklin St., E. King St., and N. Marshall St.). Redevelopment of this scale and complexity requires years of lead time to align partners, financial resources, zoning, and strategic initiatives, and will play a major role in the future of this area.
Project Contact: Lauren Finn, Senior Planner, City of Lancaster, lfinn@cityoflancasterpa.gov
Phases
Analyze Community Feedback
As part of the City of Lancaster’s East End Small Area Plan’s Phase 2 Engagement Strategy, the consultant team of WRT and Kimley-Horn facilitated a 1.5-day Visioning Charrette on June 25- 26ᵗʰ, 2025 that included two (2) design charrettes, a real estate developer roundtable, and a meeting with the East End Small Area Plan project team.
The charettes reflect what was learned through prior public engagement - an online survey, pop-up events, and participation in city wide events. More detailed results of those engagements can be found in Phase 2 on this project platform. The agenda for the charettes and the Key Takeaways memo are attached.
Please take a look and post your questions!
Additional resources:
Existing Conditions Presentation
Up next: The consultant team will develop its first draft plan. The public will have the opportunity to view the plan and provide additional feedback - in the timeframe of late October/early November. The team will take that feedback and provide a second draft for review.
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Total posts: 2Upcoming and ongoing events
Past events
Event date: November 6th, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
454 New Holland Avenue
11 registrants